A Journey Back
by Brackenfern
Summary: Jonas and Gabriel have been living peacefully in Elsewhere for years. But what happens when Jonas and Gabe have to return to The Community?


"Jonas! Jonas!" a 6 year-old Gabriel called out. A 17 year-old Jonas heard Gabe's cry and raced outside into the small clearing surrounding the cabin. 4 years ago, when the sled had reached the bottom of the hill, it had crashed into a tree, breaking Jonas' leg. That tree had been at the edge of a huge forest. Gabriel had slipped off the back of the sled, into a snow bank, mere moments before. If Gabe had not slipped off, well, Jonas preferred not to think about that. The point was, Jonas had gathered the supplies he needed to splint his leg, using what he had remembered from a memory. Jonas had dragged himself over to Gabriel through the pure white storm and pulled Gabe and himself into the shelter of the woods and fell asleep.

The next day, they walked further into the forest, about 4 miles, and had found a clearing about the size of a football field. Using the fallen logs, he had built a temporary shelter to live in until he was able to walk properly again. As soon as he was, he had built a log cabin based on what he remembered. Ever since then, he had been working to provide for Gabe and was ever improving the cabin they lived in, from repairs to living conditions. A few years ago, he had found a village to trade with for luxuries such as beddings and toys. He had even met a woman willing to teach him how to make baskets, a skill that he used almost daily.

"Look at what I found!" Gabe excited voice broke through Jonas' musings. Looking at the ground where Gabe was pointing, he saw what he almost immediately recognized as a fox cub. The only difference from the ones he saw every summer was that you could see this one's ribs.

"Gabe," Jonas whispered softly. "Back away slowly and carefully."

Gabe did so, cautiously. He had learned to trust what Jonas said, seeing that Jonas had many memories.

_Crack!_

Gabriel froze, breathing rapidly. Looking down, he saw a broken twig underneath his foot. Gabe knew that the fox would have heard and it would only be a matter of time before the fox attacked. The fox, however, did nothing but whimper.

Jonas raced forward and grabbed Gabe underneath the arms, pulling him behind him in an effort to get him to safety.

"Get back into the cabin, Gabe." Jonas muttered to the young boy behind him. He heard Gabe scamper away then heard the sound of the cabin door closing. Jonas cautiously stepped forward and kneeled down next to the fox.

"Hey there, little guy. I'm not going to hurt you." Jonas whispered to the young fox cub as he picked him up. Turning to the cabin, he yelled softly "Gabe. Get a bowl full of warm water and some of the dried meat out on the table."

"Ok, Jonas!" came the quick reply.

Jonas heard the sounds of cabinets opening and closing and water coming from the log cabin. Carefully cradling the cub, he set off at a slow walk, quickly reaching the cabin door. Walking into the kitchen, he saw the things he had asked for laid out on the table with a red-faced Gabe beside it.

"Thanks, Gabe." Jonas said thankfully. "Now, little guy, let's get you fed and cleaned up."

Ten minutes later, the little cub was fed and bathed and Jonas was drying the little cub off. Gabe, who had abandoned the room when he saw that Jonas was just washing him, suddenly came bursting back in with a loud bang as the door banged against the wooden wall.

"Wow, Jonas, he cleaned up well!" Gabe said, grinning from ear to ear.

"He certainly did." Jonas agreed.

"He looks like a bunch of flames."

The fox cub certainly did look like a ball of flames. His coat, whose true color turned out to be a deep burnt ginger, was gleaming and his amber eyes were blinking.

"Can we keep him?" Gabe asked hopefully.

Jonas sighed, and then agreed ruefully. Gabe's grin became so big, it seemed to light up the room. Within a second, he was over at the table, staring happily at the young fox.

"Hi Flame! My name is Gabriel, but I like Gabe better." Gabe kept on rambling telling the newly dubbed Flame everything about himself from his favorite color (blue) to his favorite food (fresh baked bread with honey). Jonas grinned. He had definitely made the right choice raising Gabe away from the lifeless community. Oh, how deprived they were! No colors, no taste, no NOTHING!

Snapping himself out of that state of mind, he grinned at Gabe who was still telling Flame the Fox about himself. Everything went well until 2 years later…

* * *

19 year-old Jonas rubbed his head absentmindedly, trying to relieve the headache he had. Groaning, he pushed his chair away from his workbench where he was working on a bow after his previous one had snapped. Grabbing his coat, he walked out the door.

"Gabe! I'm going out for a bit. Stay inside with Flame." He yelled over his shoulder to Gabe who was staring after him in confusion.

"Ok, Jonas. Where are you going?" Gabe asked, as he scooted back into the house.

"Out. I have a headache and I'm hoping a ride on Storm will clear my mind."

"Oh, ok. See you later!"

Jonas sighed. He didn't like leaving Gabe alone but he knew that Flame, the 2 year-old fox they had taken in, would protect him. Walking quickly, he reached the clearing where the rest of the animals were kept, about a 2 minute walk away from the cabin he had built for himself and Gabe all those years ago. Upon reaching the meadow, he took in the sight of his pets all around the meadow in their different pastures. There were the 3 goats*, 2 rabbits**, 7 horses***, as well as an assortment of other animals. Seeing Storm's dark grey dappled coat next to the fence, Jonas quickly swung himself up over the fence, landing on Storm's broad back. Wheeling Storm around, he let him jump the gate, not bothering to open the gate.

As Storm's hooves pounded the ground, Jonas saw visions of the past flashing before his eyes. And it wasn't just his past, it was the worlds. He saw armies being led into battle, a man in a big, black, top hat addressing a big crowd of people, and family life. As Jonas saw these visions, a strange tugging in his gut brought him back to the present. Suddenly, he knew that he had to go back to the community. He didn't know why, but he knew when. Now. A strange sense of urgency came over him. Not bothering to take storm back to the meadow, he turned towards the cabin and urged Storm to go faster.

The second he saw the cabin come into view, he slid off Storm's back, after giving the sign to wait. Rushing inside, he ignored Gabe's questions as he started to hurriedly pack everything that he and Gabe would need for the weeklong journey to the community. A change of clothes, check. Food, check. Water bottle, check. Matches, check. And finally blankets. Grabbing the saddlebags he packed, he rushed back onto the porch, finally stopping to tell Gabe what was going on.

"We need to go back to the community. I don't know why, but memories are coming back to me, memories I never received. I think something is wrong with the Giver, too. There's something strange going on." Jonas explained.

"But Jonas," Gabe all but whimpered. "Didn't you say that they wanted to kill me?"

Jonas sighed, but nodded. "They wanted to release you. They didn't realize that the community wasn't the right place for you. Elsewhere was."

"Ok, Jonas. But can we take Flame too? He can hunt for himself."

"Fine." Jonas sighed. Gabe was going to be the death of him someday. "Flame can come, but he has to take care of himself."

Gabe grinned, his smile stretching from ear to ear.

"Thanks Jonas."

"Come on, Gabe. Grab Flame and follow me. We need to saddle up Storm and Sun."

The next week passed quickly for the travelers. They rode from dawn to dusk, stopping only to sleep and to take quick food breaks. Before they knew it, they had reached the edge of the community. Dismounting from Storm and grabbing both Storm and Sun's reins, he took a deep breath and stepped into the place he had sworn never to return to. He didn't know what to expect, alarms maybe, but defiantly not nothing.

Nobody was riding on their bikes, or just playing around with their friends. There was simply nobody around. Suddenly, Jonas doubled over in pain, reaching for his head as he did so.

_"I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." A brown-skinned man was speaking to a crowd. The crowd rose to their feet and cheered at these words and Jonas was wrenched out of the memory. _

"Jonas, Jonas!" He heard Gabriel cry. Swallowing hardly, Jonas stood back up.

"Are you ok?" Gabe asked.

"I will be." Jonas replied. "Come on, but be quiet. We need to get to the House of the Old."

They made it, without seeing another soul. That in itself was confusing, but the sound of clapping rang out every once in a while from the middle of the Community. Finally, Jonas saw the brick walls of the House of the Old.

Going in, Jonas paused. What if he was wrong and The Giver wasn't here. That would be terrible. Jonas chose not to think about it. If you keep worrying, he told himself, it's going to happen. Jonas walked up to the desk and grabbed the key card to The Giver's room. Walking to the room he had not been in for years, he entered.

"Giver?" Jonas called softly into the dark.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" A young, female voice responded. Jonas recoiled, not expecting a female.

"I should be asking you that." He responded with a strong voice.

"Fine." The girl responded. Jonas chuckled softly; he could almost see her rolling her eyes. "I am Heather, the Receiver of Memories. I am here because the Giver is-" She stopped suddenly. "I told you who I am, now who are you?"

Jonas took a breath as he sat down on a chair. His eyes had finally adjusted, and he could see the girl still facing the door in a defensive posture.

"Relax. I'm not here to hurt you." Jonas paused as the girl spun around trying to locate his voice, and then continued. "My name is Jonas. I was the Receiver of Memories now I am-"

"Jonas? Is it really you?" An old voice cut him off. Jonas almost immediately recognized it as the Giver's.

"Yes Giver, it's me."

"Why have you returned?"

"I've been remembering memories that I neither made myself nor received, and the ones I did receive all those years ago came back to me. I also got the feeling that something was wrong. I only got here today." Jonas said.

"I was wondering if this would happen." The Giver said. "Before we continue, Heather please turn on the lights."

"Of course Giver." The girl responded as she flicked on the switch. Jonas blinked once in the sudden light.

"I must apologize, Jonas. When you first left, the Chief Elder had a team of scientists make a remember-less pill. When people took the pill, the pill suppressed the memories, therefor giving the memories back to you." The Giver explained. "However, our plan did work. The people had to live with the memories for 2 years before the pill was completed. I received a new apprentice the year after, but I have not given her any painful memories. That has slowed me down, keeping the painful ones to myself."

"Then let me receive once again, Giver. I can handle them." Jonas said, worry evident in his voice.

"If you wish, Jonas." The Giver said slowly. "Lie down on the bed."

Jonas followed the motions he had done for almost a year while the girl looked on in shock.

"You might want to leave the room for this, Heather." Jonas said, raising his head. "This could get hard to watch."

Heather nodded numbly as she stood up and left the room, closing the door behind her as she went. Jonas carefully lowered his head, saying "I'm ready, Giver." Jonas felt the cool hands touch his back before he slipped into blackness.

The Giver started with something small, a sprained wrist, but quickly moved on to things like getting hit by a car and getting burned at a stake. Jonas tried to just grit his teeth and bear it. After about a half an hour, though they had no way of knowing, the Giver stopped.

"Thank you Jonas." Was all he said before he collapsed into a chair. Jonas sat up and pulled his shirt back on.

Jonas stood up before going over to the Giver and kneeling down next to him. "I must go now, Giver. I have two horses and Gabriel waiting outside for me. And yes," he added, seeing the Giver open his mouth to ask a question. "It is the same Gabriel that was to be released all those years ago. Good bye, Giver. It was good to see you again."

Jonas stood up from where he kneeled and walked over to the door. Opening it, he told the waiting Heather to go back in. With one last glance over his shoulder, Jonas walked back to the Annex door, dropping off the key card as he did. Stepping out into the fresh air, he realized why nobody was around. The ceremonies were today. Walking over to the waiting horses, Jonas laughed as he realized Gabe had fallen asleep on top of Sun. Mounting Storm, Jonas grabbed Sun's reins, knowing Gabe would wake up as soon as they started moving.

Surprisingly enough, Gabe did not wake up and they reached the edge of the community without any interruptions. Their luck, however, ended there.

"Freeze where you are!" A woman's voice called out. Sighing, Jonas signaled to Storm to halt, knowing Sun would follow his lead. However, Gabe stirred from his nap and woke up.

"Jonas," Gabe said, spying the woman, "Who is that?"

"That's what I want to know, Gabe." Jonas told him, staring at the woman. He froze as a flicker of recognition passed over her face. Jonas looked closely at the woman, groaning softly as he recognized her. Sighing, Jonas dismounted, motioning for Gabe to do the same.

"This, Gabe," Jonas said, once they were both on the ground. "Is my sister Lily."

Jonas tensed, expecting Lily to come running at him. He was not disappointed. Moments later, a squealing 15 year-old came running at him, throwing her arms around him. Hugging him for a minute, she let him go, getting ready to ask an onslaught of questions.

Why did you leave; where did you go; and why are you here; were just a few of the many questions she asked. With each question, Gabe hid more and more behind Jonas' legs before Lily finally stopped. Jonas grinned as he reached behind him to pick Gabe up. Grabbing him, he rested Gabe on his hip before turning back to answer Lily's questions.

"Who is that?" Lily asked. "And what are those?" She added, while motioning to the horses behind Jonas.

"This is Gabe, the same Gabe we took care of while he was a newchild. I left because I found out that Gabe was going to be released. Gabe and I headed to Elsewhere, where we've been living, and about 2 years after I left, the memories I received came back to me. About a year ago, I started receiving memories I had never received and a week ago, I got the feeling something was wrong, which is why I'm here. And these things behind me are horses." Jonas said, while putting Gabe back on top of Sun. "The one Gabe is on is named Sun and the one behind me is Storm. It was great seeing you and all, Lily, but we need to get going. We have a week-long trip to get back to home." While Jonas was saying that, he had mounted Storm. Taking Sun's reins, he turned Storm around. As they crossed the bridge back to Elsewhere, Jonas stopped, tuned to face Lily, and said "Please don't tell anyone that you saw us. They think we died about 6 years ago."

Jonas tuned back around in his saddle and nudged Storm into a canter, dropping Sun's reins as he did so. They were soon joined by a crimson blur running alongside them. The week passed quickly and the travelers soon reached their home in the woods. Even though it had been great to see the Giver and Lily again, the community wasn't their home, their log cabin was. Finally, they were home.

***Sweet (F), Thorn (M), Snow (F)**

**** Cream (F) and Milk (M)**

***** Storm (M), Ember (F), Spark (M), Mist (F), Dew (F), Tumbleweed (Tumble for short) (M), Sun (M)**

**Had to write this for a Lit. assigment. One of my friends (you know who you are) convinced me that it was good enough to post. So... Hope you enjoyed and didn't feel like this was a waste of time.**


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